The Millenium Scarab
by Sage Saria
Summary: Joey saves a young girl from rape. The next day he sees her again as she enrolls in his school,and soon discovers that she has...a Millenium Item??? Rated for language and rape content. Self Insertion. Possible Joey/new character. Slight edit in Cha.2
1. Chapter 1

The Millenium Scarab  
  
Notes:Yu-Gi-Oh! Joey,Yugi and other related names are trademarks of 4Kids Entertainment,Kids WB,and of course,Kazuki Takahashi. The new characters are mine,so don't steal them  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Joey walked down the musty street. He was always nervous when he took this way home. He had never gone down this street without witnessing some sort of crime or violence. Grafitti was scribbled all over the walls of the buildings. It was surprising that people still lived here.  
  
He pulled his jacket tighter around him and turned the corner. A police car drove by,siren blaring. On the other side of the street were a few boys smoking pot. A woman in a skintight leather dress and fishnet stockings was leaning against the wall flirting with boys who passed by.  
  
Suddenly,a shrill scream pierced the air.  
  
"AIEEEEEE! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"  
  
Joey ran toward the screams as fast as he could. He had seen enough violence,it was time he did something about it.  
  
He traced the screams to a deserted alley nearby. He could hear struggling. There were two voices,a girl's and a man's.  
  
"Let go of me! Stop it! Somebody help!"  
  
"Shut up,bitch!"there was a slapping sound and the girl screamed again. Joey whipped around the corner,and saw the repulsing sight. The struggling girl was on the ground against the wall. He couldn't see her face from where he was standing. The man was on top of her,and she was trying to push him away. Joey turned red with fury.  
  
"Hey you!"He yelled. The guy looked up.  
  
"Whaddya you want,punk?"he yelled,"Can't you see I'm a little busy?"  
  
"What da hell do you think you're doin'?"  
  
"Since when's it any of you're buisness?"  
  
"You leave dat girl alone,you bastard!"  
  
"You're askin' for a headache,kid!"the girl yelped as the guy threw her down and stood up to face his opponent.  
  
The guy punched Joey in the stomach. He doubled over briefly,but got up and gave him an uppercut to the chin. The guy fell back.  
  
The rest of the fight went by so fast it seemed as though it was over almost as quickly as it started. Soon the guy was on the ground,battered and bruised,while Joey only had a small black eye.  
  
Joey turned,and for the first time got a good look at the girl,who was on the ground,shaking violently. She looked no older then fourteen. Under the brown curly hair that was all over her face,he saw a red mark on her cheek where the attacker had slapped her. Her light blue shirt had the top buttons opened,revieling cleavage,and her flowery skirt had been raised above her knees.  
  
"Are you all right,miss?"he asked as he reached his hand out.  
  
"I am now. Thank you."she replied as she took his hand gingerly and he helped her up. Her voice sounded a little hoarse. It must have been from screaming so much. As she rose to her feet,Joey caught a glimps of something gold on her shirt.  
  
"This is a pretty dangerous street."Joey said,"You have to be really careful to walk through here."  
  
"I didn't know."she answered as she slowly re-buttoned her shirt,"I just moved to this city today,and I don't know anything about this place."  
  
"Where do you live? I could help you get home."  
  
"Could you?"  
  
"Sure. Looks like you could use it,'specially afta what just happened."  
  
"Thank you. What's your name?"  
  
"I'm Joey Wheelar. You?"  
  
"My name is Margaret. Margaret Hogan."  
  
To be continued... 


	2. Chapter 2

The Millenium Scarab  
  
Yaaaaay! I got a review! I got a review! Really,Crystal Mew,you like it that much already? Cool! That means I'm doing my job! Well,anyway,thanx for the review,here's the next chapter.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"Class,may I have your attention please."the teacher called. Everyone quieted down and looked at him.  
  
"I have an announcement to make. Today,we have a new student. Come on in,young lady."  
  
A dark-haired girl came in through the open door. As she shyly made her way to the front of the room,Joey nudged Yugi.  
  
"That's her!"he whispered,"That's the girl I told you about! The one I saved!"Joey had told all of his friends about the encounter with the rapist the other day,and nobody seemed to believe him,but now there was the proof,right there in front of them. But Yugi didn't seem to care about that. He seemed more interested in the girl herself.  
  
"She doesn't look too well."he said. Joey looked at her again. Yugi was right. Things he didn't notice when he first met her were more obvious now. She was pale and thin,and she half-limped as she walked,her heels dragging on the floor with a scrape-scrape sound.  
  
"This is Margaret Hogan."the teacher said,"She moved here from Tokyo yesterday. She will be your classmate from now on."There was a murmer of greetings.  
  
"You may take your seat now,Margaret."Margaret walked toward an empty desk in the back.  
  
***  
  
The bell rang,and almost instantly the class was talking and laughing as they pushed their way out the door. Only a few stayed behind,packing everything into their backpacks. Yugi and his friends were among them.  
  
"Rmph! Stupid piece of shit! Get in there!"Joey tried to force his book into his backpack,getting very frustrated as it refused to go in. Yugi,Tea and Tristen were all laughing too hard to help him.  
  
"Here,let me help you with that."a familiar voice said. A pair of hands took Joey's book,carefully pushed other items in the backpack aside,and put the book in. Joey looked up to thank whoever helped him. It was Margaret. There was a pause.  
  
"I know you! You're the one who saved me yesterday!"she exclaimed. Her voice still sounded weak and a tad strained.  
  
"Hey!"Joey said in greeting,"I was wonderin' if I'd see you again! Have you met my friends? This is Yugi,dat's Tristen,and dat's Tea. Bakura's out for the week,but we'll introduce ya when we see 'im."  
  
"It's nice to meet you."Margaret bowed respectivly. As she bowed,Joey noticed the glint of gold again. This time he saw the source;a small,gold pin in the shape of a scarab beetle.  
  
"I like your broach."he complimented.  
  
"Thank you."Margaret blushed,"My mother's friend bought it for me when she visied Egypt."  
  
"From Egypt? Dat's cool."  
  
"Yes. She said that this broach was dug up from an old tomb and put up for sale."  
  
"Cool. Well,we have to get going to our next class,so I'll see you later!"  
  
***  
  
Margaret was in most of the same classes as Joey and his friends,and for several days they saw almost the exact same thing;she was a little shy,but sweet and kind with a good sense of humor. She never got mad,and if someone did something she didn't like,she talked with them about it.  
  
Friday came at last. As the final bell rang,students practicly ran out of the exits to head home. Joey and his friends casually walked out of the school,and Joey noticed Margaret walking around the corner to walk home.  
  
"You coming with me to the shop,Joey?"Yugi asked,"Grandpa's got some cards on sale today."  
  
"Nah,I should be goin'. See ya,Yug'."the blond half-ran toward where Margaret was heading,when he overheard her talking with another girl,probably the one he had seen her eating lunch with.  
  
"You know,Margaret,you really shouldn't go around talking about people behind their back."  
  
"I told you,Catherine,I wasn't spreading those rumors!"Joey peered around the corner and saw the two of them. Catherine was looking really angry,while Margaret just looked confused,even trapped.  
  
"Don't lie to me! I know it was you! David said you said that stuff,and David doesn't lie!"  
  
"I'm not lying! I don't lie,Catherine. I don't even know what you think I said."  
  
"How do I know you're not lying right now? David's been around longer then you have! How do I know you can really be trusted?"  
  
"Why don't you believe me?"Margaret was starting to cry,"I though you were my friend!"  
  
"I was until you started saying stuff about me!"  
  
"I told you,I didn't--"Catherine held a hand up.  
  
"I don't want to hear it! If you're not going to tell the truth,I'm not going to be friends with you anymore!"she stormed away. Margaret just stood there for a moment,shaking. For a moment,Joey thought it was from crying,but then he saw that her hands were clenched into fists.  
  
What happened next,not even someone who knew Margaret for years could predict.  
  
"That...stubborn...biased...BITCH!!!"she snapped. Then,almost too fast for Joey to follow,she drove her fist into a nearby window with a loud smash. Shards of glass flew everywhere,cutting her knuckles and fingers.  
  
There was a pause,then she winced and nursed her hand. Joey ran up to her.  
  
"Margaret!"he exclaimed,"That was totally unlike you! Why'd you do that?"she looked at him.  
  
"Do...what?"  
  
"The window!"she looked at the window,then back at him.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about. One minute I was angry at my friend,then the next,my knuckles are bleeding. I have no idea what happened."  
  
"Well,I guess it doesn't matter. Here,let me wrap that for you."Joey dug around his pockets until he found a white,lacy handkercheif. Mai Valentine gave him this handkercheif when he was at the Duelist Kingdom tournament. He unfolded it and gently wrapped it around Margaret's bleeding hand. She thanked him and started to walk home,but instead put a hand to her forehead and stumbled backwards.  
  
"Whoa!"Joey said as he caught her,"You ok?"  
  
"I feel...dizzy."was the reply.  
  
"Here. I'll walk home with ya."Joey let Margaret lean on him and they began to walk.  
  
"So what was up over there? Why was dat girl yellin' at ya?"  
  
"Someone had told her that I had been talking about her behind her back. I didn't do anything of the sort,but she won't listen to me. I'm surprised anyone can stand to be around her with that attitude."she sighed.  
  
"Man,that's harsh!"Joey exclaimed,"Well,don't you worry about it. Me an' my friends will take care o' ya."  
  
"Thank you,Joey."  
  
Joey helped Margaret to the front steps,and from there she was able to walk on her own without fainting. She thanked him again and went into her house. Joey turned and headed home. He hardly noticed where he was going. A lot was on his mind. Something was just not right about that moment. Margaret has been so peaceful all week. She never lost her temper like that. Why now? And why did she not remember it? Could it have something to do with that broach? Could it possibly be...?  
  
To be continued...  
  
Ok,I think that could have been better. Oh well. I promise this story will get better,so be gentle on the reviews! 


	3. Chapter 3

The Millenium Scarab  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"A Millenium Item? Are you sure?"Yugi couldn't believe his ears. There couldn't possibly be an EIGHTH Millenium Item,could there?  
  
"I'm almost positive,Yug'!"Joey answered,"She's acting just like you and Bakura did before you knew the power of your items!"there was a pause,then Joey continued,"But I'm not saying anything to Margaret until I'm absolutly certain. And I know just how to get the rest of the evidence!"  
  
"How is that?"  
  
"Bakura's Millenium Ring can detect other Millenium Items,right?"  
  
"Yeah...."  
  
"So if that broach Margaret wears is a Millenium Item,Bakura's ring should point right at it! He'll be back from vacation on Monday,so we can ask him then!"  
  
***  
  
Monday morning came fast. Joey sat at his desk with Yugi,Tea and Tristen,waiting for Bakura. Margaret was quietly sitting at her desk,reading an American book called "To Kill A Mockingbird"(A/N:very good book. Read it or else!).  
  
The five-minute warning bell rang,and Bakura entered the room. Joey stood up.  
  
"Bakura! 'ey Bakura! Over here!"Bakura saw him and went over to him.  
  
"Hello Joey."He said quietly in his soft voice and Brittish accent.  
  
"Bakura,I want to introduce someone to you."He turned to Margaret,"Hey Margaret,c'mere!"Margaret looked up,set her book aside,and stood up.  
  
"Margaret,this is Bakura. Bakura,Margaret Hogan,our new fellow student."  
  
"It's nice to meet you."Bakura held out his right hand.  
  
"Likewise."Margaret politely shook Bakura's hand. As she did,he noticed a white bandage wrapped around her knuckles and fingers.  
  
"Oh? What happened to your hand?"She looked at her hand.  
  
"I'm not sure. One minute I'm really mad at this person I know,the next..."  
  
"Bakura,can I talk to you for a sec?"Joey said,tugging on Bakura's sweater.  
  
"Er...I suppose so..."he obediently followed Joey. Joey took Bakura to a corner of the room and began to whisper something in his ear. While they talked,Margaret interested herself in a game of Duel Monsters that Yugi and Tea were playing. Yugi was currently ahead of Tea by 1000 Life Points.  
  
"Wow!"she exclaimed,"I see how you were able to defeat Seto Kaiba and Mazamillion Pegasus! I've never seen such good Dueling skills!"  
  
"Thanks."Yugi replied,"I've had some close calls,though. Joey played against me in the Duelist Kingdom. I almost lost that duel."  
  
"That's right! Joey won second place,didn't he?"  
  
"Yeah. You wouldn't believe how good he is. You'd never guess just by looking at him."Tristen chuckled.  
  
"All right everyone,grab a seat!"the teacher called across the room. Yugi and Tea put their decks away and everyone went to their seats.  
  
***  
  
A faint,low humming sound reached Bakura's ears. He looked down. His Millenium Ring was glowing. He lifted it and one of the gold,wind chime- like points began tugging at the rest of the ring,pointing at a seat behind Bakura. He looked back at what it was pointing to,then reached over and tapped Joey on the arm.  
  
"Joey!"he whispered,"Joey!"Joey looked at him.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Look."Bakura pointed down at his ring,still pointing behind him. Joey looked at it,and followed it's path to what it was pointing at. It was pointing at Margaret,right at her chest,where her pin was securly fasoned.  
  
"I knew it!"Joey whispered,"Margaret's got a Millenium Item! But which one?"  
  
"Maybe you could ask Yugi's Yami. He knows more about the Millenium Items then anyone else,he could probably help."  
  
"Quiet please,Joey and Ryou!"the teacher burst out. Joey and Bakura fell silent. But inside Bakura's ring,a voice was deep in thought.  
  
/So,little Margaret has the Millenium Scarab,does she?/Yami Bakura thought with a sinister laugh,/I thought that Millenium Item had been lost forever,but now I have found it,and soon...it will be mine!/  
  
To be continued...  
  
Eh,short chapter,I know. But it took me a while to get crackin' on it! I've got schoolwork,and I was working on other fanfictions! I know what you're thinking;"Excuses,excuses,excuses! That's all she ever has!". Well,we've all got those kinds of excuses! I'm rambling now,so I should shut up. Please review! 


	4. Chapter 4

The Millenium Scarab  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Joey leaned back on his bed. Never in his life had time gone by so slowly for him. Yugi had promissed to call him as soon as he talked to his Yami about the Millenium Scarab. It shouldn't take that long to get a few facts on a little trinket!  
  
He wondered what it was like to be Margaret right now. She must so be confused...unnaturally weak-bodied...doing things she can't remember afterward...all because of a little pin that her mother's friend gave her. It must be hard. Poor girl.  
  
The phone rang. He sprang up and dashed to the phone.  
  
"Yugi?"he said as scarcely as he had picked up the reciever.  
  
"Hi Joey."said Yugi's voice on the other end of the line.  
  
"What's up? Did you get the information?"  
  
"Yeah. I tell you,it's gonna knock your socks off!  
  
"As you know,five thousand years ago,a big war broke out in Egypt because of the Shadow Games. Well,there was a girl who took part in that war. She was in love with power,and most of her power was from the Shadow Games. You could almost say they were like drugs to her. She was going to stop at nothing to protect them.  
  
"She traveled through Egypt for years,killing those who stood in her way and absorbing their life forces with some kind of...evil magic that she gained from the Shadow Games. It was mostly because of her that the Pharoh chose to take action.  
  
"When she got the word that the Pharoh was going to banish the Games,she attacked him in a blinding rage,trying to kill him. But he wasn't as easily struck down as her previous victims. He evaded her attack and knocked her out. When he sealed the Games away,he also imprisoned her in an Item;the Millenium Scarab. Instead of sending it with the other Millenium Items,the Pharoh ordered for it to be locked deep in the palace,hoping that it would never fall into mortal hands and release the evil spirit within."  
  
"But now it's in the hands of an innocent girl."Joey thought out loud,"Wow. To think that there's actually an eighth Millenium Item that no one knew about before!"He thought about that one thing;a Shadow Magic that allowed the evil girl to suck up life force. That must have been what was happening to Margaret that makes her so weak!  
  
"Thanks,Yug'!"he said,"And give Yami my thanks too!"  
  
"Sure."Yugi replied,then yawned quietly,"Listen,I'm really tired and I think I'll turn in early. 'Night,Joey."  
  
"'Night,Yugi. See you tomorrow."  
  
***  
  
Joey got up extra early the next morning. He ate an unusually quick breakfast and left at seven,ariving at school at seven-thirty,twenty minutes earlier then he usually arrived. He sat on the steps and waited. He was determined to tell Margaret about the Scarab today,no question about it.  
  
At about seven fourty-five,people started ariving,talking,laughing,joking and just plain having the time of their lives. But where was Margaret? Wouldn't she be here by now? She wasn't sick,was she?  
  
Seven-fifty. At last,a car pulled up to the front of the building. The back seat door opened and Margaret stepped out. She didn't normally ride to school,did she?  
  
He heard her mutter "Thanks for the ride,Mom. Bye!" before closing the door,then she swung her backpack over her shoulder and went toward the building. Then she saw Joey standing there,waved at him,and went toward him.  
  
"Hi,Joey."she whispered.  
  
"Hey!"Joey said as he jumped up,"How are you feeling?"  
  
"Not so hot."she replied,"I was so exhausted this morning,there was no way I could have walked."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that. Listen,there's something I wanna talk to you about. You know that pin you wear? Well,it--"Joey was abruptly cut off by someone screaming from across the hall.  
  
"Hey Margaret! I see you have a new 'friend!' When you gonna hurt HIS feelings?! You know it's gonna happen sooner or later,you mean,evil girl! You don't even deserve to have friends!"It was Catherine,the biased girl from the other day. Joey felt Margaret shaking beside him. The Catherine's words were cutting through her like a knife.  
  
"Hey man,leave her alone! She's had enough!"  
  
"Shut the hell up!"  
  
"Cut it out! You're gonna make her cry!"  
  
"Well,she deserves it after she talked about me behind my back!"Joey rolled his eyes and whispered to Margaret.  
  
"Listen,you go on ahead to class. I'll take care of this."Margaret complied and continued down the hall. Joey turned on Catherine.  
  
"Tell me,did you actually HEAR Margaret talking about you."Catherine looked at him as if it was a stupid question. He didn't see why. It was perfectly reasonable to ask.  
  
"No..."  
  
"Then how do you know she was?"  
  
"David told me."  
  
"David who?"  
  
"David Lawrence. He's in my fifth period History class."  
  
"How do you know this 'David' fella o' yours was tellin' the truth?"  
  
"You're wasting my time,buddy."Catherine snapped and pushed past him.  
  
"Not everyone tells the truth all the time! Think about that!"Joey shouted after her. Well,that seemed half pointless. But at least not completely pointless. Now he had the guy's name. David Lawrence. Fifth period History class. He decided he should give this guy a talking to and see what that does. But meantime,he should talk to Margaret.  
  
Joey raced to the classroom just as the warning bell rang. He saw Margaret sitting in the back,her face burried in her arms. She was definetly crying at this point. He grabbed the tissue box from the teacher's desk and went over to her.  
  
"Hey."he said quietly,gently nudging her on the arm,"You gonna be ok?"Margaret looked up. Her eyes were starting to turn red,and tears had soaked her face.  
  
"I think so."she replied in a voice sounding more hoarce then usual,"Thank you for sticking up for me,Joey."  
  
"What're friends for?"Joey smiled as he sat backwards at an empty desk and pushed the tissue box towards her,"Hey,not for nothin',but I wanna ask you somethin'. This 'David Lawrence' that Catherine was talkin' about,what's with him? Do you know?"  
  
"He's Catherine's boyfriend."  
  
"She's got a boyfriend? That bitch?"  
  
"Yeah. They've been going out since Freshman year."  
  
Her boyfriend...hmm...that opened new possibilities as to what's going on. Maybe David is jealous of Margaret and is trying to get Catherine to steer clear of her. Or maybe it's a coverup strategy;he's telling people these things and then blaming 'the new girl' for them,in case someone lets it slip what he or she heard.  
  
The teacher's voice snapped Joey back into reality. Quickly he patted Margaret on the shoulder and went to his seat.  
  
***  
  
The final bell rang at last. Everyone pushed there way out the doors to their lockers. Joey was deliberatly slow in packing up. He crammed the last book into his bag at the same time Margaret finished packing. He stood up and quickly went to her side.  
  
"Howdy,pardner!"he said,faking a western accent. Margaret giggled.  
  
"Hey cowboy."she answered,"What's up?"  
  
"Oh,nothin' much. I was just wond'rin' if I could walk ya home?"Margaret smiled.  
  
"Sure,Joey! I'd like that!"  
  
Joey and Margaret collected their books from their lockers and were soon outside. Meanwhile around the corner of the school,Bakura leaned against the wall,watching the two as they walked by. He listened intently as they got closer.  
  
"An' then the other Kuriboh turns around an' says 'Hey,that's not a Dark Magician! This is a Dark Magician!'"Margaret laughed as Joey finished his joke. They were just about to turn the corner. Bakura slipped behind a nearby bush(A/N:I haven't seen the side of Domino High,so I'm assuming that there's a small garden next to the windows.)as they walked by. Then,just as they passed him,he sprang out and lunged at Margaret from behind.  
  
Almost faster then Bakura could see,Margaret whipped around and struck him in the face with a right jab. Startled by the swiftness of her attack,he stumbled back and fell on the grassy ground.  
  
When he regained his composure,he looked up at Margaret. She was leaning over him with a sort of evil glare in her eyes. Joey noticed the look as well.  
  
"Oh shit..."  
  
Bakura quickly wiped a streak of blood away from his mouth as he staggered to his feet. Margaret gave him no time to recover further, though. A kick went to the knees, another right jab, and then she stepped forward and slammed her elbow into the side of his head. Bakura dropped like a stone.  
  
"Stay away from me, Bakura," she hissed before another kick sent him into unconsciousness.  
  
Joey just stood there gaping at the crumpled heap on the ground that was Bakura. Then he looked at Margaret. The dark glint in her eyes had left. She was back to normal. She looked at him briefly,then let out a small sigh and collapsed,landing in Joey's arms.  
  
Several other people had massed around the former battle field. Several "what happened's?" and "oh my god's!" were heard when they saw the unconscious Bakura and Margaret.  
  
"'scuse me. Pardon me. Sorry,excuse me."was heard way in the back of the crowd. Yugi and the others were pushing their way through to the front. Yugi,being naturally small and skinny,was the first to emerge. He looked at Bakura,then looked at Joey,who was still holding the limp girl in his arms.  
  
"What happened?"Tea exclaimed as she made her way toward them.  
  
"It was her,wasn't it?"Yugi asked grimly. Joey nodded. Yugi could only sigh and shake his head sadly.  
  
"Are you ok,Bakura?"said a girl from History class as she helped a newly- awakened and shaken Bakura to his feet.  
  
"I think so."he answered,rubbing his head where Margaret had hit him,"What happened?"  
  
"It was the ring."Joey muttered. That was all Bakura needed to hear to know what happened. His Yami must have tried to make a grab for Margaret's Millenium Item.  
  
"We'd better get Margaret outa here."Joey said as he lifted her into a carrying position.  
  
To be continued...wow!!! Long chapter for once!!!  
  
FYI:What Catherine was saying about not deserving to have friends because sooner or later I'm going to hurt them,someone actually said this to me. She assumed, being the teme (Japanese insult) she is, that I treat everyone the way I treat her,not getting it through her head that I'm treating her that way because she's a biased,hypocratic bitch. And that's not all she's done to me,but I'm not going to go into great detail about what else she's done. The problem is I have to tolerate her because she hangs out with my lunch friends. *sigh* Life is going to be so much easier in Junior year when she'll be outta school.  
  
Anyway,more FYI:There really is a guy named David at my school. I don't know his last name,and he's not going out with the girl Catherine is based on(whose real name I'm going to keep a secret),but he's a real bastard. He's physicly,emotionally and on some occations sexually obnoxious to me and a girl who sits next to me in class,and that in itself is bad enough,but what really made me want to kill him was the time he shouted at me from a school bus window to get my attention and gave me the finger. Sometimes I think that he and "Girl X" would make a great couple :P I'm going to stop ranting about my real life now.  
  
Two more things before I go. First,I rated this PG-13 because I knew there was gonna be some bad stuff. But I've begun to notice how much language I've slipped in here. Should I bump up the rating to R? I honestly think language isn't as big a deal as what I was really worried about(the rape in the first chapter),but it's up to you guys.  
  
Second,thanks to my friend Rowan,AKA Rini-Chan,for writing the fight scene for me ^_^  
  
Review please! Ja ne,minna-san! 


	5. Chapter 5

The Millenium Scarab  
  
Chapter 5  
  
The first sense that returned to Margaret was touch. She recognised her surroundings by their texture. She was lying in her own bed,a warm blanket covering her body,and someone was holding her hand.  
  
Slowly her eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw with her unfocussed gaze was someone sitting next to her bed. Short blonde hair. Blue jacket.  
  
"Hey,welcome back!"a familiar male voice said. Finally her eyes focussed and Joey was sitting there.  
  
"Joey?"she whispered,"What happened?"  
  
"You went all crazy again. Beat the livin' daylights outta Bakura."  
  
Margaret slowly sat up. She looked as though she had something to say,but wasn't quite sure if she wanted to say it. She was very quiet for a long time,then took a deep breath and looked at her visitor.  
  
"You know Joey,"she said,"That moment,before I passed out,I felt sort of...trapped. I felt as though...as though I was imprisoned...imprisoned in my own mind...unaware of anything going on. And when I tried to snap out of it,it felt like...like someone was holding me back...like someone didn't want me to know what was happening."  
  
"Really?"Joey replied. Margaret nodded.  
  
"Something's wrong with me,Joey."she continued,"Something's very wrong. I don't know what it is. Neither do my parents. Not even doctors know what's happening to me. But I can feel it. I feel like someone's living inside me,and whoever it is can...control what I do. Make me do bad things. And I don't even know I'm doing them. And afterward,I feel so tired,like it took all the strength I had just to do it.  
  
"You think I'm crazy,don't you?"she added nervously. Joey looked at her grimly.  
  
"Not at all."he looked behind him and pushed the door closed,then scooted his chair closer to her,"Margaret,what I'm about to tell you is very important. Nobody knows this,except me,Yugi,Tristen,Tea an' Bakura. You must promise to never tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."  
  
"I promise."Margaret replied,now tense. Does Joey actually know what's wrong with her? Could this be the answer she's looking for?  
  
Joey took a deep breath,and began to tell her. He told her everything from the story of the Millenium Items to the origin of the Millenium Scarab. He half expected her to laugh,but she didn't. In fact,as he told the story,she recalled the day she got the Scarab.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Margaret bounded down the stairs. Mom's friend,Jeneanne had come back from her trip to Egypt last night and had come by to talk about it.  
  
She entered the family room and saw Jeneanne sitting in the chair they got from Grandpa.  
  
"Hi Jeneanne!"Margaret exclaimed,"How was Egypt?"  
  
"It was great! Oh,and I got somethin' for you."Jeneanne reached into her bag and pulled out a small box wrapped in shiny gold paper.  
  
"Ooooooh,what is it?"Margaret took the little box in her hands and looked at it curiously.  
  
"I found it in the bazaar. They say they dug it out of the Pharoh's tomb. I thought you'd like it."  
  
Eagerly she ripped the paper off to reveal a little white box that one would put a trinket in as gift wrapping. She lifted the lid and looked inside. Inside,there was a small gold pin in the shape of a scarab,resting gently on a piece of blue foam.  
  
"Oh wow! It's beautiful!"Margaret picked it up. It was rather heavy,"Is this solid gold?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"I love it! Thank you so much,Jeneanne!"she placed the pin on her t- shirt and admired it.  
  
But soon,things had changed drastically. All of her energy and hyperactiveness began to ebb away. She lost will to run and exercise. And worst of all..she had gotten expelled for fighting. She didn't even remember starting the fights,and yet she was expelled for it. That's why they had moved to Domino City.  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
So this was the answer. This was why all this had been happening.  
  
Margaret leaned back in the bed. All she did for a long time was hold the Scarab in her hands,gently stroking it. Joey understood how hard it must have been for her. It was a gift from her mom's friend. She loved it. But at the same time she was afraid. They all are when they first discover the secrets of their Millenium Items.  
  
Slowly she lifted her eyes onto Joey.  
  
"What should I do?"  
  
"I'd say the best thing to do is get rid of it. I'll understand if you don't want to,though."Joey looked at his watch,"Listen,I've gotta get back. My pops will be wondering where I am. Think about it,ok?"he patted Margaret on the arm,stood up,and left.  
  
***  
  
Margaret walked down the street,the Scarab clutched in her hand. She had thought about it for a long time,and decided it was for the best to get rid of it. She knew how upset Jeneanne would be if she found out,though. She decided she would just say it was stolen and that she was really sorry. This was one of those few exeptions to her not-lie personality.  
  
She slowly approached a dumpster in a nearby ally. The perfect place to leave such a tiny object. No one would find it under all the garbage. She walked up to it,gently fingering the Scarab's solid gold features.  
  
She glanced around. No one was nearby. Slowly she lifted the lid of the dumpster,preparing to drop the trinket in.  
  
"I wouldn't so that if I were you."Margaret jumped and whipped around. There was a girl standing there. She looked exactly like her,except that her aggresivly curly hair was wild and untidy,and her eyes were narrow and glinted with evil.  
  
"Who are you?"Margaret demanded.  
  
"I am you,little Margaret."the other replied,"At least I'm a part of you."Margaret's eyes widened.  
  
"You're the evil spirit Joey told me about! The one in the Millenium Scarab!"the evil one chuckled.  
  
"How right you are. You can call me Yami. I am the one who fought Bakura earlier today."  
  
"Why did you do it?"  
  
"I was mearly protecting myself,child. Bakura was after my Millenium Scarab,and I wasn't going to let him take it. Of course,there are other results from our little scuffle as well. I will have power over those who saw me fight Bakura,and that would be the most wonderful thing of all."  
  
"You're insane!"Margaret gasped.  
  
"No. Not insane. I just want power. Power is the what life is all about! While your life force sustains me,it is not enough! I must have more power,and you are the key to finding it!"  
  
At this point,Margaret recalled Joey's words. Some under the power of a Millenium Item will try to seek out the others.  
  
"You want Yugi and Bakura's Millenium Items!"  
  
"Yes."Yami replied,"Your little friends have two of the most powerful Items in the circle. With you as my host,you can take me to them and I will take them!"  
  
"No,I refuse!"Margaret shouted. Yami seized her wrists and soon she was pinned against the wall.  
  
"I'm not asking."she hissed in her Hikari's ear,"I'm telling!"  
  
Margaret tried to struggle from Yami's grasp,but soon,a burning pain shot into her wrists and spread through her entire body. It was as though her very bones were on fire. An agonised cry escaped her lips and lingered in the air.  
  
All was silent. An evil sort of chuckle was heard,and a figure disappeared into the shadows.  
  
To be continued... 


End file.
